Lessons for December 10, 2006 – Second Sunday of Advent

The first lesson

Malachi 3:1-4
 
    "Look! I am sending my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. Then the Lord you are seeking will suddenly come to his Temple. The messenger of the covenant, whom you look for so eagerly, is surely coming," says the Lord Almighty. [2] "But who will be able to endure it when he comes? Who will be able to stand and face him when he appears? For he will be like a blazing fire that refines metal or like a strong soap that whitens clothes. [3] He will sit and judge like a refiner of silver, watching closely as the dross is burned away. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold or silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord. [4] Then once more the Lord will accept the offerings brought to him by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, as he did in former times.  (NLT) 

Luke 1:68-79
 
L.  "Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, because he has visited his people and redeemed them. 
C.  He has sent us a mighty Savior from the royal line of his servant David,
L.  just as he promised through his holy prophets long ago. 
C.  Now we will be saved from our enemies and from all who hate us. 
L.  He has been merciful to our ancestors by remembering his sacred covenant with them, 
C.  the covenant he gave to our ancestor Abraham. 
L.  We have been rescued from our enemies, so we can serve God without fear, 
C.  in holiness and righteousness forever.
L.  "And you, my little son, will be called the prophet of the Most High,
C.  because you will prepare the way for the Lord. 
L.  You will tell his people how to find salvation through forgiveness of their sins. 
C.  Because of God's tender mercy, the light from heaven is about to break upon us, 
L.  to give light to those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death,
C.  and to guide us to the path of peace."  (NLT)

The second lesson

Philippians 1:3-11
 
    Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. [4] I always pray for you, and I make my requests with a heart full of joy [5] because you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. [6] And I am sure that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on that day when Christ Jesus comes back again. 
    [7] It is right that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you have a very special place in my heart. We have shared together the blessings of God, both when I was in prison and when I was out, defending the truth and telling others the Good News. [8] God knows how much I love you and long for you with the tender compassion of Christ Jesus. [9] I pray that your love for each other will overflow more and more, and that you will keep on growing in your knowledge and understanding. [10] For I want you to understand what really matters, so that you may live pure and blameless lives until Christ returns. [11] May you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—those good things that are produced in your life by Jesus Christ—for this will bring much glory and praise to God.  (NLT)

The Gospel Lesson 

Luke 3:1-6
 
    It was now the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius, the Roman emperor. Pilate was governor over Judea; Herod Antipas was ruler over Galilee; his brother Philip was ruler over Iturea and Traconitis; Lysanias was ruler over Abilene. [2] Annas and Caiaphas were the high priests. At this time a message from God came to John son of Zechariah, who was living out in the wilderness. [3] Then John went from place to place on both sides of the Jordan River, preaching that people should be baptized to show that they had turned from their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. [4] Isaiah had spoken of John when he said,

    "He is a voice shouting in the wilderness:
    'Prepare a pathway for the Lord's coming!
        Make a straight road for him! 
    [5] Fill in the valleys,
        and level the mountains and hills!
    Straighten the curves,
        and smooth out the rough places! 
    [6] And then all people will see
        the salvation sent from God.' "  (NLT)